This episode draws from Key 8 of Carolyn Costin’s book, 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder, and explores one of the most foundational ideas in her approach to healing: care of the soul.
Recovery is about more than changing eating disorder behaviors. In this episode, Carolyn explores what it means to care for the soul and why lasting healing requires more than meal plans, symptom management, or body image work alone.
Carolyn describes the soul as the deepest essence of who we are—the part of ourselves that cannot be reduced to weight, shape, appearance, achievements, or roles. When recovery becomes overly focused on the body, she explains, it can be easy to lose sight of the larger purpose: building a life that feels meaningful, connected, and worth recovering for.
Drawing on mindfulness, nature, ritual, truth-telling, and meaningful connection, Carolyn shares how shifting attention toward presence and purpose can naturally loosen the grip of body obsession. She also introduces her Four Principles of Living: show up, pay attention, tell the truth without judgment, and don’t be attached to the results.
Carolyn also explores how rituals can become grounding rather than rigid, movement can become joyful rather than compulsive, and body neutrality may sometimes be a more realistic and compassionate starting point than forced body positivity.
Ultimately, this episode asks us to think beyond simply stopping eating disorder behaviors and consider a deeper question: What are you recovering to? Healing can become more sustainable when it reconnects us with meaning, relationships, values, awe, and the parts of life that make us feel fully alive.
Books Mentioned in This Episode
Thank you for listening. Please take a minute to review our helpful links and resources below.
🎁 A gift for listeners: Take Carolyn's free "How vs. Why" mini-course — the teaching video plus two readings from the 8 Keys to Recovery workbook. No account, no cost. Take the free course here.
Important Links:
Learn about the Carolyn Costin Institute
Apply to become a CCI Certified Recovery Coach
Follow the CCI Institute on Instagram
Subscribe to Carolyn's YouTube Channel
RECEIVE 20% OFF your purchase of the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder (book).
Recovery Resources and Support:
The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA)
Project Heal
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
Carolyn's Bio:
Carolyn Costin is a world-renowned eating disorder clinician, author, and speaker. Recovered from anorexia, she pi...
